Oil change interval with marine diesels

[Dockhead]

back in the mists of time I did a lot of work on oil change intervals and the science was to run engines for various periods and with different usage cycles, bakers van, long distance trunker etc, post van, reps car etc. after a specific mileage that varied, dry and weigh the oil filter medium. The result of a years work was extended mileage between oil changes and larger oil filters. However, what went with it was dealer advice to make customers aware that if they only did short journeys they should change the oil and filter more frequently - most customers being cynical ignored the advice and engine failures (worn out pistons mostly) were the result. Its quite possible to get a worn out engine on a vehicle with 20,000 Mile whilst an engine with 200,000 miles has very little wear, all attributable to oil maintenance and how it is used. They were cars and trucks, marine engines are another matter as they GENERALLY have the worst working environment and need more "TLC".

The typical use of a sailing yacht engine sounds close to the worst case scenario to me.

And considering how cheap, fast and easy it is to change the oil & filter on a marine engine (no crawling under the car to get to the oil pan drain plug), why take any chances?

 

[vyv_cox]

The typical use of a sailing yacht engine sounds close to the worst case scenario to me.

And considering how cheap, fast and easy it is to change the oil & filter on a marine engine

I take it you don't have a Yanmar GM series? I would love to watch the idiot who designed a horizontal screw connection for the filter change it without tipping half the contents into the bilge. Perhaps it's one of those sadistic Japanese things, like eating poisonous fish.

 

[Dockhead]

I take it you don't have a Yanmar GM series? I would love to watch the idiot who designed a horizontal screw connection for the filter change it without tipping half the contents into the bilge. Perhaps it's one of those sadistic Japanese things, like eating poisonous fish.

LOL! No, Yanmar 4JH3HTE. Nothing sadistic, to the yachtsman appropriately armed with an oil change pump.

 

[sailorman]

Interesting stuff, as I am thinking of doing my oil next week. I have a query about the filter change. Not being very mechanical, I thought if I changed the oil and as the engine doesn't run over the winter, no oil goes thru' the filter, so why do you need to change the filter?

Thanks

Add clean oil into the new filter prior to fitting helps with oil circulation @ first start-up after oil change

 

[Playtime]

I take it you don't have a Yanmar GM series? I would love to watch the idiot who designed a horizontal screw connection for the filter change it without tipping half the contents into the bilge. Perhaps it's one of those sadistic Japanese things, like eating poisonous fish.

Have you tried the old trick of putting a polythene bag round it before you unscrew it fully? Maybe there's not enough clearance for this to be effective?

 

[bendyone]

With a small engine costs around £25 to change the oil and filter, even twice a year not too much to pay to protect your £5000 engine.

 

[vyv_cox]

LOL! No, Yanmar 4JH3HTE. Nothing sadistic, to the yachtsman appropriately armed with an oil change pump.

Well I have never managed to drain the filter before unscrewing it.

Have you tried the old trick of putting a polythene bag round it before you unscrew it fully? Maybe there's not enough clearance for this to be effective?

It's not the clearance so much as the fact that oil runs out of the gasket joint as soon as the filter is unscrewed. There simply isn't any way of catching the oil without it running down the block and sump. A big rag helps but never catches all of it.

Add clean oil into the new filter prior to fitting helps with oil circulation @ first start-up after oil change

Ideally yes, but connecting a filter full of oil to a horizontal screwed joint is possibly even more difficult than removing the used one.

 

[Marsupial]

Vyv

agreed, I have a JH4E and I make a couple of holes in the filter AFTER its loose to get the oil out. But charging the filter with oil before fitting is not possible.

Aside: after changing the oil filter on sons Lexus IS200 (he claimed there wasn’t one! because he couldnt see it - and neither could I) I can find no fault (a relative term) with anything the marine industry comes up with! Lexus! what a stupid arrangement! and its from Toyota! I bet there are many IS200's out there with original fliters for the life of the car such is the position of the thing. But since that experience I have seriously thought about marketing remote oil filter kits for marine engines (like we had on rally cars in the 1960's; put them up high so rocks wouldnt knock them off) particularly for the twin engined mobo's, one filter is often assessable the other needs a hole cut in the side of hull so you can see it! Some yacht installations are no better; fitting the filter where it can be seen and maintained would be a BIG step forward and in the grand scheme not expensive.